Three Estonian stand-up comedy groups established a privately funded scholarship for advancing local stand-up culture, kultuur.err.ee reported on Tuesday.

Naljastipendium (Joke Scholarship) was established by Monoteater, Komeediklubi and Kinoteater, which have all been active in the local entertainment scene for a few years. The 1,500 euro scholarship is available for single artists or groups for projects, studies or visiting festivals.

“The joke scholarship is a serious matter,” Paul Pilk, one of the founders said, adding that a stand-up comedian is like a court fool — pointing out important issues and prolonging people’s lives. He said that many good ideas have not gotten off the ground due to lack of money.

Applications can be made on the website www.naljastipendium.ee and the first deadline is April 1. Piik stressed this opportunity is no April Fools' joke.

Over the last two weeks the number of competitors in this year's Eesti Laul has been cut in half. The ten songs that will compete to represent Estonia at the Eurovision Song Contest have now been selected.

The music program of the eighth Tallinn Music Week (TMW), taking place from March 28 to April 3 has confirmed 237 artists from 33 countries. Finnish Flow and Tuska festivals will present their own stages at TMW.

With Eesti Laul semifinals still weeks away, one semifinalists – “Immortality” by Cartoon feat. Kristel Aaslaid – has already amassed more than one million listeners in Youtube. This is far more than any other semifinalist in the history of the competition.

The Estonian Music Awards might be a chance for the success stories of the previous year to celebrate their work, but this year's event held a number of signs of what, and who, will be big in the years to come. Though a few established artists took most of the awards on offer, they came from across the musical spectrum.

ETV's morning program "Terevisioon" revealed the four jury-picked designs and one people's choice that have made it to the final of the national logo competition. The new logo that will replace the obsolete Welcome to Estonia will be chosen in mid-March.

Jõuluvana, the Estonian version of Father Christmas, and his Russian colleague Ded Moroz met today on the Friendship Bridge in Narva that connects the two countries to exhange good wishes. The pair visited both Narva and Ivangorod, the twin towns on the opposite banks of the Narva River.

Three months ago, three students from Pirita Business High School decided to set up PU:LIPS, a student company that produces exclusive wooden neckties. The ties have already raised interest in Italy and the US, where the boys soon hope to sell their products through an e-store.

Five MEPs from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have filmed an informative tongue-in-cheek video message to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who was recently caught out answering a question about his favorite Baltic nation with "That's not a thing."